


For Home

by Malakia



Series: Naruto Drabbles and Short Stories [36]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Introspection, Kirigakure | Hidden Mist Village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23498479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malakia/pseuds/Malakia
Summary: Mei questions if she could be Mizukage
Series: Naruto Drabbles and Short Stories [36]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1124142
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	For Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohayohimawari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohayohimawari/gifts).



> A gift for Hima because she has been dealing with a lot of stuff irl and I wanted to hopefully make her feel better by writing something with her fav character.

Mei stared down at the village of Kirigakure with a heavy feeling in her chest. From her perch on the balcony of the former Mizukage’s balcony, she towered over everything at the very epicenter of the place she called home. 

She turned her head away to look back at the office behind her. _Her_ office, if what Ao and the others were saying to her about the politics going on. 

When she had first thought of the coup, the thought of the being the Mizukage was the farthest thing from her mind. She had only wanted things to end; for friends to no longer _die_ over just speaking their minds or children being scared to walk the streets. What good was a village that was meant to bring people together if they kept killing one another or silly things like power? 

After the coup was successful, she would have been happy to serve whoever the next Mizukage was. As long as that person knew what was best for the village and not being like the former Fourth, Kiri could finally step out of the shadow of its bloody title. 

Yet the next challenge would be the Council of Elders as they were hard balls that were stuck in their ways. Surely they would overrule any sort of plan or compromise that Ao would have tried to come up with for the next Mizukage. But no; they were a stickler for rules apparently. And as such, by right, Mei would take over the position of Mizukage. 

Not wanting things to be the same, Mei had immediately protested against such a thing. Instead, with Ao’s better wording, had suggested voting democratically among those qualified for the duty. She, of course, would be on the list but doubted she would actually win. 

What she hadn’t counted on were the number of people who looked up to her. Sure, she had gained many devoted followers over the years in both lower castes, yet it was the upper caste that was going to be doing the voting (which, of course, would certainly change). However, the whispers had gotten back that even _they_ were looking at her to be the next Mizukage.

The voting was still a few days away but it was basically a given she would get it. She wasn’t sure though if it was the right thing. 

She turned away from the village to walk back towards the office. Each step felt heavy as she trudged forward until she was inside. 

She crossed the room to where the Mizukage’s desk was back against the farthest wall. When she reached it, she hesitantly reached out to the desk and ran her fingertips over the resin wood. 

She turned her gaze to the high-backed chair behind the desk. She tried to envision herself sitting in it but it looked too _odd_ for her to really capture the moment. 

With pressed lips, she moved around the desk and pulled the chair out a little just enough for her to sit in. Slowly, she lowered herself down until her bottom hit the worn cushion. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, so she shifted a moment until she found a position that wouldn’t bother her. 

Then, with faux confidence as if she was speaking to the most important people from around the world, she threw her shoulders back and lifted her head proudly. Only to nearly let go of herself laugh silly the next second later. 

“Yep,” she muttered with a sigh and a weary smile on her lips. “Feels wrong.” 

She leaned back in the seat and stared out the window. 

It didn’t feel _right_ to sit here. Even if she _was_ one of the strongest shinobi in the village, she didn’t feel she could lead it the way it was needed. Short term like for a coup? Sure. But for long term? Could she really do that?

She frowned and looked down at her lap with her fingers curled inward on the armrests. The heaviness in her chest increased as she let herself wonder about it. 

She didn’t really have a head for politics. All that paperwork and meetings just seemed too dull. She would have to placate people like the Council of Elders, who were still suffering from the fear of the last Mizukage. Have to actually _talk_ to those of the higher caste and withhold the urge to punch some of them in their haughty faces. And would some of the things she would _want_ from the village be even possible to do?

Without realizing it, an image of smiling villagers came to her mind. It was two days after the coup, and Mei had gone out to make sure people (mostly civilians) were receiving proper care after ensuring some internal village items (such as their defenses) were handled. Everywhere she had gone, people would always give her tired smiles and thanked her for what she had done. Of course, some of those thanks were out of misplaced fear but others were genuine in their delivery that it left her a little uncomfortable.

She had seen children playing by the river. They weren’t really doing much and when she had gone over to ask them how they were, their fear-stricken faces left her heartbroken. But when she encouraged them to continue to play, they were hesitant and quiet. Yet they soon began to get louder and rowdier when they realized no one would come and yell or threaten them. 

When she had moved on she ended up running into a mother and daughter that offered her to dinner. Not to be impolite, she had accepted. It was a lovely meal with the small family the mother and daughter were apart of as they all joked and smiled. But it was after dinner, when the mother and father pulled her aside, that she found out the real reason for the invitation. The family had a kekkei genkai and they were wondering what was going to happen now for them. Everyone in the village knew Mei had a rare one and since she had been one of the leaders of the coup, they felt comfortable to come to her about it. 

She had done her best to reassure that things _would_ change. That people like them would be accepted. She said not to reveal anything for now, but when the time was right, she would personally be there for anyone that wished to no longer hide. She remembered the mother and father’s smile being so bright as they thanked her profusely. 

Mei looked up at the ceiling while her fingers unfolded. So many people… So many people that had reached out to her on just that one day…

She thought of them and wondered if someone else wore the hat, would they reach out to that person? Would they welcome that Mizukage as readily as they did her?

And that’s what it really boiled down to, wasn’t it? Would some else be able to gain the trust of the people around her like she had already had? Probably not. 

She sighed and closed her eyes. And that’s probably one of the biggest factors on why she was being chosen. People _looked_ to her to lead. 

Many in her inner circle said that she didn’t properly credit herself. She was smart, charming, and able to play people the way she wanted them to fall into her hand. She was also deadly and efficient in the way she killed. Any number of the upper caste people could easily fill the position of Mizukage if that was the only qualifications that someone would need. But it was the _trust_ that people had in her that really affected the decision.

The upper caste was looking to place one of their own since her family lineage ran all the way back to the founding of Kiri and also weren’t blind to the way the lower castes were looking to her. 

She opened her eyes and lowered her face. The heaviness in her chest had lessened and she took a deep breath to feel the air in her light lungs. She stood up and moved back to the balcony. 

Opening the doors to the outside, a steely sensation settled into her being. The same kind of emotion she constantly felt when she was secretly planning the coup. The kind that would demand _change._

Staring out onto Kirigakure again, she stood proudly and smiled. She was going to be chosen to be Mizukage. _She_ would make the change that was needed for their society and the rules they had in place. Not because she wanted to take the hat, but because the _people_ wanted her to be the one to lead the way. Because who else could do it _but_ her? 

For _Kirigakure_ she would do it. _For her home,_ she would do it.


End file.
